Marabou

Tying Instructions: Kaufmann Mini-Leech



	1. Attach the bead to the hook. Make sure the smaller hole enters first with the larger hole facing the bend. Attach the hook to the vise with the point clear of the vise jaws.
	2. Wrap leadfree wire behind the bead. The leadfree wire will be snugged into the drilled opening of the bead to help secure it and add weight. I am using .015 thickness of leadfree wire due to the small bead.
	3. Attach the thread onto the shank behind the wire and secure the wire wraps with thread wraps. Wrap the thread back along the shank to the tail tie-in position at the bend of the hook. Note that on a TMC 200R hook this location is where the thread bisects the point midway between the barb and the end of the point.
	4. Using the tip of a marabou plume, I measure the tip to be about half of the shank length. The tip is tied at the spot that is defined as the "bend of the hook", just above the midpoint of the barb and the hook point.
	5. I like to wrap the remaining fibers of the marabou up to the leadfree wire. This helps to even out the shank thickness for dubbing. Attach 4 strands of Krystalflash to the base of the tail at the top of the shank. I am using 2 strands of Pearl and 2 strands of Wine Krystalflash. The flash should extend just to the end of the tail.
	6. Secure the tag ends of the Krystalflash on the top of the shank up to the bead.
	7. Attach another four strands of Krystalflash to the top of the tail base. and secure the tag ends up to the bead with thread wraps. Wrap the thread back to the tail tie-in position.
	8. Wax the thread to help adhere the dubbing to the thread. The fibers are long and slippery and the wax will help retain the dubbing postion on the thread until you complete the dubbing loop to lock the fibers in place.
	9. Using the prepared Kaufmann Mini Leech Blend, you just loosely arrange the blended dubbing onto the waxed thread with some touches. Do not twist it onto the thread.
	10. Using a Dubbing Loop tool, bring the thread back up to the tail tie-in position and secure with overlapping thread wraps. The tool will spread out your thread loop and the blended dubbing will be within the center of the loop. Wrap the bobbin thread up to the bead.
	11. Twist the dubbing loop to create a chenille. You can distribute the fibers up or down the thread core with your fingers..
	12. Wrap the Krystalflash around the chenille a number of times. This will give a ribbing appearance once the fibers are combed out. Wrap the dubbing with an increasing taper towards the beadhead. Try not to apply too much dubbing at one time. You'll need about 3-4 applications to do the entire body. And, do not rope the dubbing too tightly as it will become difficult to release the individual strands. Wrap the dubbing material to the beadhead. Twist the two strands of flash around the copper wire to form one strand of ribbing material. Wrap the ribbing in widely spaced spirol wraps. 5-6 wraps is a good number and secure the tag end with thread wraps.Apply a small amount of dubbing to the thread and wrap just behind the bead. This help cover the ribbing tags and pushes the bead firmly against the eye of the hookWhip Finish and trim off the thread tag.
	13. Wrap the dubbing evenly towards the beadhead. Wrap extra behind the bead and secure with thread wraps.
	14. Whip Finish behind the bead and trim off the thread.
	15. Use a piece of velcro to pull fibers from the chenille. Then brush the fibers back towards the tail with a dubbing brush. The body should be slender and sinuous.
	16. The finished Kauffmann Mini Leech, Wine